If you really want to understand where Rioja is headed—not where it’s been—start with Telmo Rodríguez. There’s a certain moment that happens when you taste his wines: the realization that Rioja can be something far more transparent, more alive, and more site-driven than most people expect. At Remelluri, Telmo isn’t chasing trends—he’s quietly redefining the ceiling of what the region can deliver.
What separates him isn’t just philosophy—it’s precision. Farming is exacting, extraction is restrained, and élevage is handled with a light touch that prioritizes clarity over influence. The wines feel lifted, structured, and deeply rooted in place, with that unmistakable tension that comes from high-elevation vineyards in the Sierra de Toloño. They don’t shout—they unfold, revealing layers of dark fruit, spice, and mineral nuance the longer they sit in the glass.
The current lineup makes that case beautifully, especially in the 2016 and 2018 Rioja Reservas. These are vintages that hit a perfect stride for Remelluri: 2016 showing a bit more classic structure and age-worthy backbone, while 2018 leans into aromatic lift and finesse. Both capture that signature balance Telmo is after—depth without heaviness, ripeness without excess, and a sense of energy that keeps you coming back for another glass.
What’s most compelling—and what truly sets these wines apart—is how seriously Telmo treats terroir. The vineyards around Remelluri sit high in Rioja Alavesa, where limestone-rich soils, broken rock, and varied exposures create a complex patchwork rather than a single uniform site. But he doesn’t stop at the estate. Through the Lindes bottlings, he works with growers across neighboring villages—Labastida, San Vicente de la Sonsierra, Ábalos—each with its own altitude, soil composition, and microclimate. Some sites lean cooler and more linear, others warmer and more generous, but all share a sense of tension that comes from farming at the edge of ripeness. It’s Rioja reframed: not as a broad style, but as a landscape of distinct voices.
For anyone who thinks they already understand Rioja, these wines are a reset.
“Telmo Rodriguez, one of the most iconic and best winemakers of his generation…. has accomplished himself as a champion of terroir over varietal and employs artisan craftsmanship in the cellar, with his wines hardly ever showing overt oak or aggressive alcohol, they always show distinctive purity and a sense of place.” -Kerry Winslow, Grapelive
5% off any 3-5 bottles of in-stock Remelluri wines
10% off any 6+ or more bottles of in-stock Remelluri wines
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Discount ends Wednesday, March 25th at 9am Pacific
In Stock and On Sale Now from Remelluri:
Remelluri ‘Remelluri’ Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2016 750ml Displayed Price: $44.50 special, that’s $113.05 at 5% off and $107.05 at 10% off, 36+ bottles available
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 93+ points “The estate red 2016 Reserva comes from a late growing season and was produced with local varieties like Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and others from their 86 hectares of vineyards at 590 to 805 meters in altitude on limestone, sandstone and marl soils. The grapes were picked late with good ripeness and health and fermented with natural yeasts in stainless steel and open-top oak vats and then matured in oak containers of different sizes for 20 to 21 months. These are more classical wines, with a more evolved nose, with high ripeness and some balsamic and medicinal notes. It has a dusty palate with Nebbiolo-like tannins. 300,000 bottles and 8,200 magnums produced. It was bottled in May 2019.”
Remelluri ‘Remelluri’ Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $48 special, that’s $45.60 at 5% off and $43.20 at 10% off, 36+ bottles available
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2018 Reserva comes from a late growing season and was produced with local varieties like Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and others from their 86 hectares of vineyards at 590 to 805 meters in altitude on limestone, sandstone and marl soils, now certified organic. The grapes were picked late with good ripeness and health and fermented with natural yeasts in stainless steel and open-top oak vats, then the wine matured in oak containers of different sizes for 22 to 24 months. This is a very good classical wine, serious and balanced, with very fine tannins, a balanced mouthfeel and enough power and concentration to be able to show elegance and nuance. It’s very tasty, almost salty. 301,779 bottle produced. It was bottled in May 2021.”
Remelluri Lindes de Remelluri Viñedos de Ábalos 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $49 special, that’s $46.55 at 5% off and $44.10 at 10% off, 13 bottles available
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2021 Viñedos de Ábalos from the last village in the zone was produced with grapes from the Marqués de Legarda, but his name does not appear anywhere. It has a hint of blood and iron, with some seriousness. It’s the end of the Sonsierra, a village quite protected that results in wines with a certain austerity. It’s medium to full-bodied, with very fine tannins. It has a contained 13.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.62 and 5.44 grams of acidity and comes through as fresh and in superb balance. 15,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in April 2023.”
Remelluri Lindes de Remelluri Viñedos de Peciña, Rioja DOCa 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $49 special, that’s $46.55 at 5% off and $44.10 at 10% off, 17 bottles available
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 94+ points “Peciña is a small parish of San Vicente de la Sonsierra, a cooler place at higher altitude. The 2021 Viñedos de Peciña shows finesse and some floral character, and it has more Garnacha character, which makes it fine-boned. It’s perfumed and elegant, with a medium to full-bodied palate with fine, chalky tannins and very focused flavors. It’s ripe without excess and comes in at 13.9% alcohol, with a pH of 3.8 and 4.42 grams of acidity. 27,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2023 after it spent 12 months in oak barrels of different sizes and ages.”
Remelluri Lindes de Remelluri Viñedos de Rivas de Tereso 2020 750ml Displayed Price: $39 special, that’s $37.05 at 5% off and $35.10 at 10% off, 3 bottles available
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 93+ points “Rivas de Tereso are parishes of San Vicente de la Sonsierra, but the difference with the 2020 Lindes de Remelluri Viñedos de Rivas de Tereso is that the vineyards are at higher altitude and the percentage of Garnacha is much higher here (38%), so there’s more mountain character and more herbal notes in the wine. It has 57% Tempranillo and some 5% other varieties. Despite a moderate 13.95% alcohol, the nose shows good ripeness, and there is some wilderness here, perhaps a little more rusticity too. The soils are very stony and rich in limestone, and the altitude gives the wine an austere twist. 19,742 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2022.”
Remelluri Lindes de Remelluri Viñedos de Rivas de Tereso 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $49 special, that’s $46.55 at 5% off and $44.10 at 10% off, 17 bottles available
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 94+ points “Rivas de Tereso is a parish of San Vicente de la Sonsierra and produced a superb 2021 Viñedos de Rivas de Tereso from vineyards at higher altitude with more Garnacha and, as such, is bottled in a Burgundy bottle. It’s floral, elegant, fresh and fine-boned, with fine-grained tannins and very nice balance. It’s not a shy wine at 14.1% alcohol but has great balance. 39,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2023.”
Remelluri Lindes de Remelluri Viñedos de Salinillas de Buradón 2020 750ml Displayed Price: $46.50 special, that’s $44.17 at 5% off and $41.85 at 10% off, 4 bottles available
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2020 Lindes de Remelluri Viñedos de Salinillas de Buradón, a parish of Labastida, was produced with a blend of 91% Tempranillo, 4% Garnacha and 5% other varieties from south-facing vineyards behind the Sierra de la Cantabria, the last vineyards that they recovered on quartz salt, gypsum and red clay soils. These are the last grapes to be picked, and the wine has 14.22% alcohol but doesn’t show any heat. It comes through as serious, shy and austere, a little closed at first. The tannins are a little rustic, but the wine has a strong mineral streak that made it my favorite from the lot. 20,114 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2022.”
Remelluri Lindes de Remelluri Viñedos de Salinillas de Buradón 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $49 special, that’s $46.55 at 5% off and $44.10 at 10% off, 16 bottles available
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2021 Viñedos de Salinillas de Buradón comes from a parish of Labastida, the westernmost place bottled in the Lindes project, a very small place with 117 inhabitants and currently 47 hectares of vineyards in total. From two growers, they get the grapes from 4.5 of these hectares to produce 20,000 bottles. It has a lactic twist, notes of wild berries and flowers and herbs. It’s medium to full-bodied, textured, fine-grained and tasty, clean and focused. It’s surprisingly fresh and elegant, but it’s also powerful and ripe, coming in at 14.6% alcohol but with all in balance. It was bottled in June 2023.”
Remelluri ‘Remelluri’ Gran Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2015 750ml Displayed Price: $119 special, that’s $113.05 at 5% off and $107.05 at 10% off, 1 bottles available
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 95 points “A blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Graciano, the 2012 Granja Remelluri Gran Reserva represents what they are aiming for with this wine, a classical expression of the place, the quintessence of the vineyards. The select their oldest vineyards and age the wine for a long time, coming back to those early years of a modern Rioja that has now turned into a classic. It has some dusty tannins, with good grip and length. It was bottled in 24,238 bottles after an élevage of 26 months. It has been in bottle since May 2015.”
Remelluri Lindes de Remelluri San Vicente 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $39 special, that’s $37.05 at 5% off and $35.10 at 10% off, 19 bottles available
James Suckling 95 points “This is defined by the steely and spicy edges to the aromas and flavors of chalky black cherries, violets and blackberries. Firm, dusty tannins coat the medium- to full-bodied palate, with mineral tension at the end. Drink or hold.”
Remelluri Lindes de Remelluri Labastida 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $39 special, that’s $37.05 at 5% off and $35.10 at 10% off, 21 bottles available
Vinous 93 points “The 2021 Lindes de Remelluri Viñedos de Labastida combines 89% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha and 6% Graciano, sourced from a patchwork of soils and altitudes in Labastida, Rioja Alavesa. Complex and layered, it opens with red and black fruit, gentle herbal notes and a touch of jam. A slightly floral tone reflects the site’s character. In the mouth, reactive tannins lend drive and structure, while the fine, chalky texture reigns in the juicy, expansive palate. The year’s clarity has enhanced the overall definition.”
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